Church of the Good Shepherd

1823 9th Street & Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA

Church of the Good Shepherd was built in 1878 and is a City of Berkeley Landmark and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Originally founded as a Diocesan Mission church, it is the oldest church in continuous use in the East Bay. Built in Victorian Gothic style, it was composed of a steeply gabled sanctuary, a bell tower, and a 1913 sacristy addition.

In October 2012, the Good Shepherd suffered a devastating fire that destroyed its Sacristy and gutted the Sanctuary's interior finishes and end walls. While the structure survived, its interior redwood finishes, cabinetry, stained glass lancet windows and large stained glass end wall panels were completely destroyed along with the rear Sacristy addition. The Episcopal Diocese of California committed resources that brought the buildings back to life, coupling fire repairs with life safety, accessibility, seismic and aesthetic improvements. Creative interpretations of historical, building and accessibility codes enabled the building to obtain for the first time in its history a restroom and running water.

The Congregation desired a new design for its destroyed Sacristy addition which had crowded the Sanctuary's stained glass window and had an awkward roof. A functional shape and contemporary roofline was designed sympathetic to the Sanctuary's architecture.